Show where S'pore shoreline was before reclamation

Cobblestone markers that indicate where the Berlin Wall once stood. A writer suggests that something similar be done in Singapore to show where the original shoreline was before land reclamation.
Cobblestone markers that indicate where the Berlin Wall once stood. A writer suggests that something similar be done in Singapore to show where the original shoreline was before land reclamation. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DESOUZA DENNIS GORDON

In land-scarce Singapore, reclamation has been a necessity.

The Republic's land area has grown by about 25 per cent, from 580 sq km in 1965 to about 719 sq km today.

Changi Airport, Parkway Parade, Suntec City, Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, and the Housing Board flats in Marine Parade all stand on reclaimed land.

Not many of us will remember or are aware of the original coastline or reclamation line.

I have heard of mentions of a Joo Chiat Beach, a Telok Kurau Beach and a Katong Beach, and many more unfamiliar beach names in Singapore.

This brings to mind what has been done for the Berlin Wall in Germany. There are markers on the ground to indicate where it once stood.

Would it be possible to construct ground markers indicating the original shoreline here in Singapore?

The Singapore Heritage Society could erect informative heritage markers at strategic locations to show what the area was like before reclamation.

In Germany, a cobblestone line marks where the Berlin Wall once stood.

In Singapore, a similar line would show future generations just how much effort our leaders took to make this country bigger and greater.

DeSouza Dennis Gordon

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 06, 2017, with the headline Show where S'pore shoreline was before reclamation. Subscribe